Dark Times with the Marauders
by En Parodia
Summary: Sirius is babysitting Harry while James is on stakeout for the Order, and Lily is at a Ministry Ball. Includes a mischievous baby Harry, bittersweet irony, and neardeath experiences.
1. Default Chapter

**When the Harrys Attack!**

Author's Note: This first chappy is short, so you'll have to excuse me. For all of you BITINMY fans, this may be a little bland. It's something entirely amusing and cute, so it may not meet all of your drama needs. Characters copyright JKR.

Green eyes and blue eyes narrowed as the two sized each other up. Then Harry had to ruin it all by gurgling happily. Sirius couldn't help but to smile down at his godson, reaching a hand into the crib to affectionately scruff his inherited mop of dark hair. _Poor kid, _he thought, _he's going to curse his father one day. _

"Paff," said Harry to Sirius, the light of recognition in his bright green eyes. Though Sirius would hardly admit it to Harry's father, he had been delighted when Harry began calling him Padfoot…er, Paff, that is.

"Oh, good. He's awake," said a relieved voice from the doorway. A harassed looking woman leaned her head against the doorframe. Lily Evans-Potter was still beautiful, despite the obvious strain she was under nowadays. The Ministry of Magic was not an ideal place to work during these dark times. A smile lit her face when she saw her six-month-old son peeking through the bars of the crib at her. It quickly vanished, though, as she walked forward to join Sirius.

"I would have much preferred a baby-sitter, you know." She said, narrowing green eyes at him accusingly. Sirius lifted his eyebrows at her. It seemed that she still hadn't forgiven him for the time that he had cursed in the presence of the baby. Well, it wasn't HIS fault that Harry was a quick learner! He reached into the bed and picked Harry up, wiggling him a little in front of Lily.

"But you don't have a baby-sitter." Sirius said with a mischievous grin.

"And if you let him touch a Dungbomb or teach him another foul word—"

"You'll incarcerate me, shortly after gouging out my eyes and letting them float in acid." Sirius completed sarcastically, now holding his godson to his hip.

Lily sighed and performed her patented eyeroll before finally relenting, smiling a little. The two were like brother and sister, constantly bantering. Sirius could remember a time that Lily had gotten on his nerves (maybe it was the fact that James couldn't seem to live without her, or maybe it was because she was forever condoning their pranks) and it still happened occasionally. But she was his friend now and had been for a long time.

"Just…be careful." Lily said, a worry line appearing across her flawless brow, "Every day I wonder…" She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Sirius waited, graciously allowing her to recover before responding.

"Me? Be careful?" Sirius said innocently, "I'll be the safety _king._"

"More like the safety queen," Remus said, poking his head in with a weary smile. He looked wan and pale as usual, but his face broke into a smile when he saw Harry cradled in Sirius's grasp, "Ready, Lily?" Lily had turned at the sound of Remus's voice and smiled at him as he came to stand with them. He affectionately mussed Harry's hair and glanced up at Lily, retracting his hand from her son's head. Instead, he gallantly offered his arm.

"Remus, thank you so much for agreeing to come with me." Lily said gratefully, accepting his arm.

"Only my pleasure. I don't think that James trusts Sirius with you all night." Remus replied, tossing a sly look at his mate.

"I always said that he knew me too well." Sirius quipped in return with a devilish grin. James was on duty tonight for the Order, helping to execute a stakeout mission at a well-known Death-Eater hangout. Sirius knew that he would much rather be taking Lily to the Ministry ball than doing Order work, so he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for his best mate.

"Be good, Sirius." Lily warned him.

"Don't the parents usually say that to the kid?"

"I did." Lily said with a smile. For a moment, she didn't look like a worried wife and mother, but like the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts, the Head Girl to James's Head Boy. The moment was soon gone as she allowed Remus to lead her out of the room. Sirius followed them out of the nursery.

"Bottle before bed at eight and carrots and ham at five?" He asked. He spent enough time with his godson to know his schedule by memory. Lily nodded in response.

"Bye-bye Harry. Bye, Sirius." Remus said, waving as they reached the door.

"Bye-bye-byeee!" Harry said energetically from Sirius's arms, bouncing with each syllable.

"Bye, darling." Lily leaned over and kissed her son before the two of them stepped outside of the door.

"Don't get TOO sloshed!" Sirius called after them. His only response was a swift shutting of the door in his face. Chuckling to himself, Sirius looked down at Harry.

"Well, it's only you and me now." He said to the baby. Harry only smiled innocently up at him.

"This'll be easy." Sirius continued.


	2. Chapter 2

**When the Harrys Attack**

**-2-**

A/N: Thanks for the positive reviews! I'm glad to know that I still have a few readers out there! Sorry this took so long; I've been so busy all summer long. I think I know where I'm going with this…so I should update a lot more now. Once again, I'd be thankful for any comments tossed my way!

It was a velveteen night, with pinpoints of stars coldly offering little illumination in the darkness. Black robes melded in perfectly with the ebony softness of the late evening hour. All was silent, though there was a silent tension in the air. A few members of the Order of the Phoenix crouched behind various bits of shrubbery. James Potter hid in an azalea bush, the thickness of it concealing him perfectly. He glanced to his right a few feet and saw Dung peering out of his own hiding place, a bit of overgrown scrub. He grinned a little and received an oily grin in return; James didn't doubt that the criminal had been selling magic carpets only hours before. Despite his questionable lifestyle, James liked the man.

He was beginning to grow bored, but no less leery of the possible dangers of the mission. This was a popular Death Eater hangout, the location given to them by a spy for their side. So far, not one of Voldemort's supporters had appeared. It was dull work, crouching behind a bush like a dog squatting to pee. James smirked a bit, but failed to be overly amused. He wasn't antsy and impatient like Sirius (which was probably why his friend wasn't on stakeout with them), but he still didn't enjoy sitting around for hours. They had already been hiding for close to an hour. One of the hot pink blossoms on the azalea bush tickled his nose. James struggled not to sneeze violently, hurriedly covering his mouth and nose with one large palm. Dung snorted a bit from his nearby hiding place, gaining a sharp look from their supervisor. James shrugged slightly and then returned his attention to the clearing ahead, squinting from behind his glasses to catch any sign of Apparating figures.

As usual, no black-robed figures manifested from the darkness, so James returned to his thoughts. _Man, this is a git of a job. If we're going to look for some Death-Eaters, let's at least have a duel and nuke some of those berks. _He fingered his wand lovingly and then glanced back up at the meadow. Still nothing. _Hmm…I wonder how Harry's doing right now…_

…………….

"You're…like James on bloody steroids!" Sirius exclaimed, snatching his wand away from Harry for what seemed like the fifteenth time in five minutes. The black-haired baby giggled and scooted across the room from his godfather. Harry didn't really crawl at this age…but he sure did scoot. The wriggling, dragging motions were almost quicker than any crawl that a baby could manage. Sirius had admired his godson's swiftness many a time. But now, it seemed more of a hindrance than a blessing.

"No, Harry, don't TOUCH that!" Sirius called after a moment, hurrying forward. He pushed through the swinging door and was whacked soundly in the face before he could move away. Sirius yelled something particularly vulgar, clutching at his face as he continued to chase Harry down.

"Uddy 'ell!" Harry cooed innocently in mimicry of what his godfather had said only moments before. Sirius had to restrain another whole torrent of bad language upon hearing that. _Lily's going to KILL me, _he thought. Then, a grin spread over his dark features. _I might like that. _

"HARRY!" Sirius dove forward just in time to knock his godson out of the way of a falling vase. The baby promptly burst into frightened tears at the yell and then the crash (and other assorted onomatopoeia) of the porcelain hitting the floor. Sirius picked Harry up and surveyed the damage.

"Stupid. Just like James to forget to put an Unbreakable Charm on it." Sirius muttered, pulling out his wand with the arm that wasn't currently holding a six-month-old to his hip.

"Reparo!" He uttered, but Harry's little fist swung in the way, knocking his wand asunder. The curse rebounded off of the wall and hit Sirius squarely on the head. There was an odd squelching noise and Sirius noted that he felt rather…funny. He shook his head rigorously and wondered what the bloody…er, HECK (_can't even curse in my thoughts around the baby_, he thought darkly) had happened to him, "Well, if anything was broken in my head…" He said aloud. Harry hiccupped a bit, having calmed down from his previous spell (he rather seemed to like being held by his godfather) and this time, didn't interfere as Sirius repaired the vase.

"It's bedtime for you, you little troublemaker." Sirius said sternly, but then a grin spread over his features, "I'm so proud!" He glanced at the clock and was distressed to find out that it was only six o'clock. Sirius groaned. Maybe this wouldn't be so easy after all.

…………………..

James stifled a yawn. He was definitely more patient than Sirius, but he was no Remus. He was beginning to get impatient. He shifted behind the bush and stretched as much as coverage allowed. He was awarded an impatient look from the leader of this execution and James only grinned in response, a gleam of white teeth in the ebony night. James caught the eye-rolling. Oh, he was aware that he irritated his superiors sometimes…but they couldn't help but like him. James was young and promising and brave—he was everything that a poster-child of the cause should be. Suddenly, a popping noise startled him from his thoughts. It was the sound of Apparition. Dark cloaks melded with the darkness, the soft glow of illuminated wand-tips showing masked faces. The Death-Eaters were here.

James sat up on his heels and then froze in place, aware of his colleagues doing the same around him. James wasn't afraid—he was ready. It took a whole lot of self-control not to leap from his hiding place and start attacking the unsuspecting Death-Eaters. But this was only supposed to be a stakeout.

_This is bloody boring. And here I was thinking that being in the Order would mean that I could actually fight, _James thought with some impatience. After all, he and Lily had already faced Voldemort before. People were beginning to regard him and Lily as their hope epitomized. Every advertisement for the good side seemed to carry their faces. They were courageous, young and they were obviously in love. They made perfect poster-children. Young Harry only added to the image—he wore his father's face with his mother's eyes.

The problem with facing Voldemort was that James only wanted to fight him all the more. His boss was becoming concerned with the impatience that the high-strung young man was exhibiting. James remembered the talk that he had received from the Head of Auror office only the other day. _"Potter, I'm glad that you're eager…but this is turning into sheer recklessness. It's getting to the point where I'm worried about sending you into covert operations. Do you understand? I hate the Dark Side just as much as you do…but you need to exercise more vigilance." _Vigilance. He sounded an awful lot like that older Auror, Moody, when he said that. Speaking of Moody… James glanced into the darkness and couldn't see the scarred man nearby. But he knew that old Alastor was there somewhere. The man was bloody mad, but James liked him. He didn't have much of a problem with madness, as James possessed quite a bit of it too.

_Yeah, mad not to be with Lily right now. This is a complete waste of time, _James thought as the Death-Eaters assembled in a messy circle, silent as they awaited their master. Speaking of Lily…_I wonder if she and Moony are having fun…_

………………..

Lily smiled, but it was more in sheer politeness than anything else. She watched Arthur and Molly Weasley pass, having just finished speaking with them. This was a very formal occasion, and so she was dressed in dress robes that were a sage green color with deeper green leaf patterns woven in the sleeves and hemlines. She looked elegant, with her red hair piled atop her head and dangling earrings brushing the sides of her neck. Molly looked lovely too, in robes of a pastel orange that complimented her hair. She and Arthur were now on the dance floor. She turned back to Remus, smiling in a more genuine manner now.

She had always liked Remus, even when she had loathed James. Remus had been her fellow prefect, and though he had never exerted much control over James and Sirius, he had done as much as was possible where the two of them were concerned. She often used to remark to her friends (loudly, too, so that James could overhear if he was nearby) that Remus was much too smart to hang out with _that _lot of berks. Now, he was a frequent part of James and Lily's lives, along with Sirius and Peter.

"So, are you going to dance with me or not?" Lily asked with mock impudence, "You can't be any worse than James." She laughed a little at the end of this—James was a truly horrible dancer. He was graceful in the air and had quick reflexes, but when it came to being on the dance floor… Well, he had thought that when the crowd parted for him, it had been a good thing. In truth, no one wanted to get close to that maniac, in case he elbowed them or something.

"I don't think it's possible to be worse than James." Remus remarked with a faint grin, obviously recalling the same memories that she was. But he obliged Lily nonetheless, leading her out to the dance floor. Along the way, they exchanged greetings with people who they happened to pass. As they danced, though, Lily became more quiet and withdrawn.

Finally, Remus asked, "What's wrong?"

Lily hesitated and then looked up at her concerned friend, "I don't know. But something's wrong. I've…got this…feeling…"

"About?"

"I think it's James."


	3. Chapter 3

**When the Harrys Attack**

**-3-**

A/N: Thanks once again for the reviews. Though, I'd have to admit that threatening to curse me into oblivion if I don't finish a story is a bit extreme…and sadistic. Which means, of course, that I like the way you think. ;) Anyway, all, read on! This is your fanfiction authoress reminding you that none of these charries are mine and that JKR receives full credit for the Harry Potter series and all of its marvelous concepts. Enjoy!

There were not many things that had the ability to reduce Sirius Black into a quivering mass of fear. But, apparently something had. Remus looked over to the opposite side of the room and gasped. It was horrible…it was fearsome…it was…Harry? Remus couldn't help it. He laughed. Sirius pulled himself together enough to conjure up a self-righteous glare.

"After all of those times I saved your hide and watched your back, Moony…" Sirius said, "For shame."

"Sorry. I just couldn't help it," Remus said, managing to muffle the last of his laughter as he scooped a gurgling Harry into his arms, "He's just a baby, Padfoot."

"Just a—" Sirius gaped, moving his mouth soundlessly for a moment, his face the picture of outrage, "Just a baby?"

Remus didn't reply, though he did roll his eyes as he shifted young Harry from hand to hand, smiling down at him. Harry had become like a son to him…and he knew that Sirius and Peter felt the same way about him. The dark-haired child was as much a part of their lives now as James was. Lily swept back into the room, now garbed in plain robes. Her stride was urgent.

"I leave for a second and you two just joke around?" She hissed. Remus wasn't as taken aback as Sirius seemed—he understood that Lily was merely acting angry because she was truly worried. The moment that she had recoiled in his arms, he knew that something was truly wrong. They had Apparated back to the Potter's flat first and now the three of them stood there in the living room, a baby at hand.

"It's James," Lily sighed all of the sudden, her green gaze finding Sirius, "There's something wrong."

Sirius's blue eyes promptly widened, a flinch rippling the muscles in his shoulders, "Well, then what in the bloody heck are we doing sitting around here!" He demanded, his eyes darting from Lily to Remus.

"I'll stay with Harry." Remus said. Neither of his friends argued with him. The moon was waxing, and so he wouldn't be up to his full strength as a wizard. If something was wrong with James, then Lily and Sirius—the two people in the world closest to James—were the logical choices to go on a rescue mission. He watched Sirius leave through the door without a backward glance. Lily, however, paused.

"We'll be back soon." She said, turning to meet his gaze briefly, "Don't worry." With an empathizing expression, she, too, departed.

……………………….

Voldemort Apparated in the midst of the Death Eaters, his presence billowing like the great black cape that was draped over his bony shoulders. The silence was impenetrable, all of the followers awaiting to hear their master's voice.

"Hatred." He said, finally. Rosier looked in the direction of Malfoy with a confused expression over his features. He didn't seem to realize that there was a mask covering his face as well. His attention returned to the Dark Lord soon enough, as Voldemort was drawing closer to him all the time.

"I feel a hatred so strong that I can almost taste it." Voldemort continued, stepping still closer to Rosier. The wizard trembled at his approach…and was relieved that his master sidestepped him and moved past him.

"From my loyal followers, I think not." The high, cruel voice was almost amused now.

From behind the azalea bush, James knew what was coming. He had always had trouble with Occlumency and hiding particularly strong emotions. He was far too animated, far too vibrant to store himself away. He stood as Voldemort approached, knowing now that it was useless to hide. He heard Moody cussing fluently behind him, hearing his name uttered as a part of many of the curses. But he was on his feet too, nevertheless.

"You've got spunk, kid, but if it gets us all killed, I won't like ya much," drawled Dung from nearby. James wasn't paying attention. His wand was drawn, aware that Voldemort was still advancing on him.

"Insolent boy," Voldemort whispered, "You actually think that you can stand against me?"

"_Protego_!" James called just a flash of light erupted from the Dark Lord's wand. The curse rebounded harmlessly.

"There may come a time when I don't find you amusing to play with. What would you do then?"

"_Protego," _James said, and then mentally uttered another curse. He dove out of the way as the curse came right back at him. He was beginning to get angry. Again he tried, and this time, it hit. Not Voldemort, but a masked supporter just to his left. The man fell over, his limbs splayed out around him, his eyes open in frozen shock.

"Hey, Voldy!" came a very familiar voice. The dark wizard didn't turn to address the salutation, however disrespectful as it was. Sirius Black joined his best mate from the right, and Lily appeared to the left.

"What're you lot—" James began heatedly, but not before Sirius froze a curse headed their way in midair.

"James, I was worried." Lily admitted.

"As touching as this is," Sirius remarked sarcastically, "I could use a little help." Rosier and Bellatrix had converged upon him; Voldemort's attention was now on Moody, who was having difficulty. A flash of light was directed at Sirius as he spoke, but James interfered in time.

"The great Sirius Black?" James replied with an uplifted eyebrow.

"The great Sirius Black doesn't want to get killed."

"James!" James looked over and saw that Lily was rushing to aid Moody, but it seemed too late. Voldemort and all of his supporters were vanishing all around them.

James swore, echoed fervently by Sirius and headed over, where the Order members were gathering.

"Disastrous!" Moody barked, "Disastrous!" He turned on James and growled, "You've got a head full of fluff, you know that, boy? You could have had all of us killed!" Sirius and Lily looked on in confusion as James's jaw tightened at the reprimand. "We all hate him, but you can't control that hate. And you're endangering not only yourself, but all of the other Order members! Get your head fixed on right, Potter."

"Ruddy one-eyed git," Sirius muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, Black! Incidentally, there was a reason you weren't chosen for this mission tonight," and with that low growl, Moody disappeared with a small pop.

"James," Lily said softly, placing a hand on his arm. James shook her light touch off, and stalked away into the night, grabbing handfuls of his hair in anxiety. Lily started to go after him, but Sirius shook his head.

"It won't do any good." Sirius said, "Just let it blow over."

Lily stared into the darkness, watching James's figure disappear into the night. Finally, she nodded, her green eyes containing worry.

"Come on. Let's go."

"You go ahead." She said softly. It was perhaps the softest tone she had ever used with him, "I'm going to stay with him."

Sirius nodded, and Disapparated. Lily sighed, the noise of it barely reaching her ears. She trudged forward through the tall grass of the field. It was difficult to walk in her high-heeled shoes and long dress robes, but she made it to James nevertheless. She stood just behind him and watched him in silence.

He was facing away from her, looking at something in the distance, one of his hands buried in his thick black hair. There had been a time when Lily had despised his wild hair, and had wanted to cut it all off in his sleep but…now, she knew it was a part of him. And even now that they were married and had a child, she still loved every part of him. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. Lily drew James close to herself until his head was resting on her shoulder, and she held him, feeling his disappointment, and his frustration.

"I just-"

"I know," she said, nuzzling him softly, "I know."

They stood there like that for a long while, until James wrapped an arm around her waist like he had so many times before, and peered down into her porcelain features. He used a thumb, rough from hard work, to trace her high cheekbones until reached where premature worry lines had appeared at the corner of her eyes.

"I love you, Lily Potter," he whispered.

"And I love you, James Potter," she replied, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his mouth. He leaned down and wrapped the other arm around her waist possessively, his lips grazing hers at first gently…but then firmly. He kissed his wife until he realized that she was shaking, and withdrew, lifting her chin with a hand. Her green eyes were tear-filled.

"W-what if you had died?" She murmured breathily, "It was so close…like the last time…and that feeling I had at the ball, I just couldn't…" She shuddered.

James held her close, stroking her hair lovingly, "I'm not dead, and I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

Lily pulled away slightly and glared at him, "Good, because if you did, I'd kill you." And then she burst into tears.

He hugged her tightly, moving back and forth until her sobs quieted, and she said, "This is just so hard on me, James. I can't stand the thought of losing you…or Harry, and it becomes more and more likely every day."

"I know," he said quietly, "but you're being so strong."

And Lily laughed at him, with tears still glistening in her eyes, and running down her face. Her features were silver in the moonlight, tear stained. He pushed her hair off of her forehead and grinned down at her, "But not as strong as me!" And he picked her up easily, and spun her around, causing Lily to cry out.

"Put me down, you thick-necked git!" She screamed, "Put me down!"

"Not if your life depended on it!"

And by the time they appeared at home, all tears and disappointments were forgotten.


	4. Chapter 4

**When the Harrys Attack**

**-4-**

A/N: Wow, I just realized how huge the time gap is between Parts Two and Three. I guess I've lost most of my readers, eh? Well, for those of you that are still here, thanks, and keep reviewing! I never know how this story is perceived until you give me a holler! Well, you know the drill—I'm not masquerading as JKR and attempting to create new plotlines in her name. The characters are hers, the plots and other devious details (love the alliteration!) are mine. Happy reading!

_Must…not…give…Sirius the satisfaction of knowing he was right! _ Remus had mysteriously appeared dangling from the light fixture only seconds before. Now, he was swinging uselessly above, as Harry gurgled and squealed joyously from below. He had an inkling that Harry had something to do with his sudden misplacement. All he had done is told Harry that it was bedtime! Apparently, the Potter child hadn't liked the idea. Remus was befuddled by how this had happened. He couldn't figure out if it was wandless magic or—

_CRASH! _(And other assorted onomatopoeia.) Remus dazedly picked himself up off of the ground. He fished for his wand, and once he had located it, he pointed at the fallen chandelier-looking light. After a series of mental spells (he wasn't going to risk verbalizing them in front of a seemingly very magically potent Harry), the light fixture repaired itself, and was attached to its old place on the wall.

"Now," he said firmly, rounding on Harry, "Bed."

Harry's whole face lit up (including wide-set almond-shaped green eyes) as he proudly pronounced one of the only words he knew at this time, "No!"

Remus sighed and picked up the recalcitrant baby. Harry protested with a wail that made Remus's overly sensitive ears hurt. He gritted his teeth and held on to Harry as he squirmed and tried to free himself, walking down the hall a ways when…

The door flew open, revealing a disheveled Sirius Black, who was grinning knowingly at Remus. _Caught in the act, _Remus thought wryly, _Now he'll never leave me alone._

"I see you've been…enjoying the company of a perfectly harmless baby," Sirius said, with that annoying expression still on his face.

"Stuff it, Padfoot," growled Remus as he disappeared inside of Harry's room. A few moments later, he reappeared in the living room, Harry's angry cries chasing him down the hall.

"Seems like the two of you get on famously. I shouldn't've interrupted." Sirius commented from his place, sprawled out on the couch.

"By the way you're acting, I can infer that all is well with James?" Remus said, hoping to change the subject.

"Nice try, Moony. You aren't getting out of this one until you admit that I was right."

"Not on your life."

"The term is 'not on _my _life' isn't it, Moony?"

"You think that it was a slip of the tongue? I would never gamble my own life."

"Oh," Sirius groaned, clutching his chest, his eyes rolling up in his head, "Shot to the heart."

"Some of us just can't handle the truth," Remus sighed, but there was a grin on his face. There was always light badinage floating around between the marauders. In these grim times, it helped to see humor in situations, because if a person started to become depressed, then it wasn't very likely that they'd resurface from it.

There was a moment of comfortable silence before Remus asked again, "So, is our fearless leader unscathed, then?"

"All but his pride," scowled Sirius, "Moody can be a right berk at times."

"He's the best at what he does, though," Remus said.

"Doesn't give him license to be a berk, though."

"What happened?"

"Ah…James made a tiny slip in his Occlumency, and Voldemort sensed that they were there, and there was a battle, but they all escaped before anything really happened." Sirius said, "Not a big deal."

"But, Sirius…it _is _a big deal. What if something really had happened? How would James have felt then?"

"The point is nothing did happen," Sirius said, a little harshly.

Silence fell between them, and this time it wasn't comfortable. Harry was starting to calm down in the other room, obviously resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to escape his crib. Remus suspected that Harry was actually very tired, after tormenting Sirius and then Remus. The boy was definitely of marauder make—no question of it. Remus silently counted to ten in his mind before speaking up again, knowing that he would have to be the one to give in, as Sirius was far too stubborn to even consider it.

"I'm sorry. It's just that sometimes James worries me with his rashness. I worry that one day, it'll be the death of him and then-"

"Don't talk like that," Sirius said abruptly, his blue eyes dark for a moment, "You seem to be awfully comfortable with talking about James's death."

"I'm being realistic, Sirius! We all know how James acts before he thinks, and how he's so apt to play the hero! It's feasible that-"

"No, it isn't." Sirius interrupted coldly, "And I can't believe you would suggest it. I'm every bit as likely to be impulsive as James is, and you don't seem bent on sentencing me to death, do you?"

Remus just sighed, knowing that he wasn't going anywhere with this conversation. Before he had to answer, though, the door opened, revealing a grinning James, bearing a laughing (and blushing!) Lily in his arms. They looked so alive, as if they were surrounded by a blaze of intense light, their lives radiant with their love, and their joy. Remus couldn't picture James being vulnerable to anything at the moment.

"Obviously someone's feeling better," commented Sirius with a lazy grin in James's direction. By the way he wasn't looking at Remus, it was clear that he wasn't included in Sirius's half of the conversation.

James's eyes flitted from Remus to Sirius curiously, catching the tension in the air quickly. It was hard not to notice, seeing as Sirius was being so obvious. Remus felt irritation build inside of him. The grin had quickly melted from James's expressive features, and he placed Lily on her feet. His wife grabbed his shoulder for balance, her face still radiant with adoration for James. However, she caught the quick change of expression on his face, and darted an inquiring look in Remus and Sirius's direction.

"Hard not to feel better when you're the luckiest bloke in the world," James replied to Sirius, a little belatedly. However, by now a small frown had come over James's narrow features; he didn't like it when any of his mates were at odds.

At that moment, thankfully, Harry chose to raise up a cry. James and Lily looked at each other and grinned.

"That's my boy," James said.

"You mean stubborn and willful?" Sirius said, "Yeah, that's your boy alright, Prongs."

"Hey, he's my child too," Lily reminded him, "That means he has some redeemable qualities." And with that, she jogged down the hall, obviously wanting to check in on her baby.

As soon as Lily was gone from the room, James turned on his mates and asked, "Okay, you lot. What's going on?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sirius said suavely.

"Just a minor disagreement," Remus said, right on top of Sirius. Both looked at each other, and glared.

"Don't listen to him."

"Someone's in denial." Once again, they spoke simultaneously. James rolled his eyes expressively.

"Well, whatever it is, both of you need to get over yourselves. Now kiss and makeup, before I jinx you," A typical James way of solving things. Remus couldn't help but to crack a weak grin, no matter how shaken he was by his and Sirius's brief spat.

"I'm not kissing _that,_" Remus said, making a joke in hopes of making a peace offering. Sirius, however, was unresponsive, his blue eyes still slightly hooded. He was stubborn, and tended to hold grudges. Remus and James met eyes. _It'll take a while to blow over, and then suddenly, everything will be okay again, _Remus decided.

"Well, I think I'm going to call it a night."

"But Moony, the fun's only beginning." James protested.

Remus grinned obligingly, stood up to embrace James, nodded at Sirius, and vanished through the front door. James turned to watch him leave, his hands mussing his hair. As soon as the door clicked shut, he whirled on Sirius.

"Why were you being such a moody git to him?" James asked, frowning.

"Because it's Be A Moody Git Night?" Sirius responded. It was clear that his best mate was turning something over in his mind.

Within a few moments, Sirius left as well, leaving James alone in the living room. He watched the door with a troubled expression on his face, but he knew better than to press the issue. Sirius only exploded under pressure, and Remus wore down very easily. He could only hope that his two friends would make up…and preferably, make up quickly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Dark Times with the Marauders**

**-5-**

A/N: I'm sure that all of you (old readers, that is) noted the title change. I originally started this as a cute little ficlet between Sirius and Harry, maybe sort of an HP version of Jack Attack from the Incredibles. But I kept getting ideas, so who knows how long this might turn out to be? Thanks to all of my tolerant fans that are still hanging in there! And any James fans still get muffins and other assorted goodies! So, if you love James, give a holler and I'll keep a muffin list! XD Okay, enough goofing around. These characters aren't mine. Only the plot, and other things you don't recognize from the books. Now, happy reading!

**POTTERS SAVE THE DAY!**

"Oi! Lily! Get a load of this rubbish!" James picked up the Prophet and carried it inside. He put it on the table in front of his wife, who was still looking muzzy from a night's sleep. Her red hair stood in a frazzled halo around her head, her green eyes still half-closed. However, at James's words, she leaned forward to examine the Daily Prophet, her eyes catching the headline right away.

"Rita Skeeter," Lily said, "No wonder."

"Yes, Rita. Never really liked her in school." James laughed, "Still, it's funny how she botches things up." Lily was relieved to see that he seemed to be in a better mood about the events of the previous night. That was the James Potter that she knew.

There was a knock at the door. Lily tensed immediately, but James went to answer it anyway. _Foolish of me, jumping at every shadow, _she thought, _It's not like Voldemort is going to walk to our door and ring the bell in broad daylight. _She took a bite of toast just as she heard an exclamation of, "Wormtail!" from the entrance hall.

That'd be Peter Pettigrew. Peter was a modest young man who acted as if James walked on water most of the time, and when he wasn't doing that, he was pissing gold. As he entered the kitchen, Lily didn't bother to feel self-conscious about her raggedy house robe and her face, which bore no makeup. Peter probably didn't even notice. His blond hair was tousled, undoubtedly from the wind. It was a fine collection of hair that was already thinning, even when he was just in his early twenties. His blue eyes had heavy circles beneath them.

"So you've seen the paper!" Peter beamed and sat down without invitation. None of James's mates needed invitation to do anything at the Potters' house. They had just recently mastered ringing the doorbell, after the last time Sirius had forgotten and Lily had thrown one of her shoes at him. The story had circulated, and now the rest of the marauders had come to fear her when she had a projectile. "Isn't it great?"

Lily snorted. "Considering what happened—"

"S'pose Skeeter likes to make her heroes handsome, eh?" James winked at Lily as he reentered and took a seat next to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, casually buttering another slice of toast. Before she could reach for the marmalade, he had grabbed her around the waist, his fingers lightly tickling.

"I've got a knife! I've got a knife!" Lily said in between laughs.

"Prongs, watch out!" Peter called, and Lily was unsure whether or not he was actually joking. As if she'd use a knife on her husband. Please.

"Who's your handsome hero?" James persisted, his fingers digging deeper, causing Lily to burst into another paroxysm of laughter.

"You are!" She finally gasped, "Now let me go; we're going to wake the baby!"

"That's more like it." He released her and kissed the top of her head, nonchalantly returning to his breakfast.

All in all, it was a fairly typical breakfast at the Potters'.

An owl awaited Peter when he returned to his flat in the city. He unlocked the door with a quiet spell and let the creature in. It flew in with the elegance that befitted its appearance. It was a stately creature, obviously along in years, but it had an air of dignity about it.

"How're you doing, Greystone?" Peter asked it softly, "Moony treating you right?" He sheathed his wand carefully and closed the door behind him before moving towards the gray owl. The parchment was neat, a telltale touch of Remus. Peter smiled slightly and unfurled it, his eyes slowly pausing over each word of the letter:

_Dear Peter,_

_I haven't seen you in a long time. I trust you are well? I know you don't like visitors to your flat, but I find that ridiculous, as it can't be any worse than the state Sirius's is in. Please say you'll come by for dinner. I miss you, Wormtail. You've been awfully closemouthed about your new job in the Ministry. Another week of silence and I'll come over uninvited. That's a promise._

_Remus_

A sad smile touched the corners of Peter's mouth. Tears came, so he closed his eyes and let the parchment litter the floor. Behind his eyelids were images that he'd like to forget—pain. Body-wracking, mind-rattling pain, white-hot and searing into his soul. He had felt like he was being ripped in half. And the threats. A high, cold whisper. _"First your dear old mum, then you. Before she dies, she will know that it was you who killed her." _He had no choice.

"Remus, I'm sorry. Oh God. James, Lily…I'm so sorry." He was trembling all over, the beginnings of sobs tearing at his voice. It was so easy. James and Lily were so trusting of him. They hadn't noticed that he had been a little withdrawn, a little troubled. Well, maybe James had, but he had probably written it off as fear. Because Peter was afraid. So terrified that he would give up his friends to Voldemort.

By the time Peter collected himself, Greystone had left, obviously sensing that there would be no reply to Remus's letter once again. The flat was dark and silent. Peter was afraid to be alone, afraid of…

Pain…lacing up his arm. He winced and rolled up the sleeve to his standard black robes. The brand on him, the mark of evil, was stirring. He shuddered and knew what it meant. He stepped outside, and Apparated away.

Night stole over the Potter home and laughter rang out. James was tossing Harry into the air, while Lily watched worriedly. Higher…and higher…one time, James was going to drop Harry. She sighed, and a smile touched her lips. She trusted her husband, and his reflexes, honed by Quidditch-playing in his Hogwarts days. Her smile grew at the irony of it all; during her Hogwarts days, she wouldn't have trusted James with a melon, let alone her only son. But then, those were the days when she thought that the aforementioned melon had more brains than "Peabrain Potter". She couldn't stifle a chuckle. It had been two years since she had called James that. Only two years? It felt like so much longer. It felt as if she had been with James forever. She couldn't remember a life without his arms encircling her in that special warmth that he only carried for her. She couldn't remember life without Harry's laughter, Harry's smiles, the touch of his soft baby hands on hers.

"Alright there, firelily?" Her husband's concerned face filled up her sight. She could see that he had temporarily stashed a giggling Harry underneath an arm.

"You'd better not drop him." Lily warned, a smile appearing over her face once again.

James raised up an arm to salute…the same arm that was holding Harry!

"James!" She shrieked. James hurriedly scooped the baby out of the air. He was grinning. _Oh, that git! He planned it! _She crossed her arms and scowled playfully at him.

"Not funny." She insisted, "You could have dropped him."

"Not on my life, love." James assured her, brushed a kiss against her forehead, and continued on with his games with his son.

Lily sighed, unable to shake the feeling that this would be one of the last peaceful moments in the Potter household for a while.


End file.
